Phil Thomas is The School Whisperer –

helping schools grow RICH learners and leaders:

Resilient. Independent. Confident. Happy.

The School Whisperer from ThinQ Education helps schools grow children into more confident individuals, more successful learners and more responsible citizens.

ThinQ provides bespoke onsite support for schools, helping leaders provide pupils with essential skills for learning, leadership and life – essentially preparing children for the rest of their lives.

An onsite RICH Inspiration Day includes a high-energy ‘resilience’ assembly and up to five highly motivating in-class RICH workshops (plus the option of a fun and engaging twilight INSET for staff). Staff development takes the form of INSET, consultancy, mentoring, coaching or conferencing.

In short, spadefuls of ideas, bucket-loads of enthusiasm and shed-loads of inspiration.

If you’ve read enough and want to talk to The School Whisperer, call Phil: 07772 631 764 or e-mail phil@thinq-education.com.

NO IMPACT – NO FEE

‘Everything I do, I do it for you.’ ThinQ exists to help you and your school to be the best you can be. Everything I do comes with an irresistible ‘No IMPACT – NO FEE’ guarantee: if you don’t see an impact, you don’t pay the fee.

Feedback from schools that have taken advantage of these workshops consistently shows that children respond very positively to the challenge to think for themselves, to create new ideas, to communicate their ideas and to collaborate with others in growing their ideas or in problem-solving activities. Read the testimonials.

Additionally, feedback has shown that this impacts positively on behaviour and self-esteem, that the more reluctant children are encouraged to participate and that those with special education needs feel empowered and included. Even G&T children are challenged.

RICH Workshops include:

CIRCLE TIME (Nursery – Year 6): using circle games and activities to build community in an environment of trust and respect in order to communicate and collaborate more effectively (allow 45 minutes to an hour)

PARACHUTE GAMES (Nursery – Year 6): using high-spirited, high energy games around, on top of and underneath a 9-metre play parachute to build community, helping children to communicate and collaborate more effectively (allow 45 minutes to an hour – hall space required)

TEAM CHALLENGE(Year 1 – Year 6): using high-impact collaborative games involving challenge and problem-solving, helping children to communicate and collaborate more effectively (allow 45 minutes to an hour – hall space required)

MUSIC FACTORY (Nursery – Year 6): using imaginative vocal percussion with a focus on pulse, rhythm, dynamics and texture to collaborate in the creation and communication of story and mood (allow 45 minutes to an hour)

BEANBAG DRAMA (Reception – Year 6): using body language, expressive movement, voice intonation and simple props, including beanbags, to create and communicate ideas and stories in a collaborative context (allow 45 minutes to an hour)

DANCES WITH HOOPS (Year 2 – Year 6): using hoops to create a collaborative sequence of expressive movements that communicate ideas, themes and stories, helping children to express ideas confidently (allow 45 minutes to an hour – hall space required)

BALLOON DEBATE (Year 3 – Year 6): using argument and persuasion around a provocative topic to build independent and collaborative thinking and communication skills to improve powers of persuasion and argument (allow a full hour)

PHILOSOPHY FOR CHILDREN – P4C/PwC (Year 1 – Year 6): using stimuli to help children collaborate in the creation and communication of questions, answers and new ideas in the pursuit of a line of enquiry (allow a full hour)

THINKING HATS (Reception – Year 6): using Edward de Bono’s well-known protocol to structure objective and disciplined thinking and promote the exchange of ideas around a stimulating theme (allow a full hour).

RICH Workshop options include:

A RICH ‘taster day’ consisting of a whole-school resilience assembly plus RICH workshops for 4 or 5 classes (a great introductory day – larger schools can book two days at a discounted price)

A day of two half-day RICH workshops for two classes (great for deepening and embedding skills and concepts)

A full ‘EnRICHment Day’ for one class (a day of substantial skills development, including a mix of workshops – finishing with a celebration activity)

The ‘Six Pack’: six days of RICH workshops and assemblies to deliver lasting impact.

OPTIONAL TWILIGHT INSET

Following a day of RICH class workshops, schools are invited to take up a Staff Training Event at the end of the day. This 60 – 90 minute twilight INSET gives staff the opportunity to explore the principles of resilience, to experience a workshop activity for themselves (often hilarious), to reflect on the outcomes and impact of the class workshops – and to consider how they can use what they have learnt with their own classes.

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HAVE A LOOK.

Have a browse through the page tabs to find out more: you might find just what you’re looking for.

If you have a particular need, please get in touch: The School Whisperer responds positively and creatively to specific requests from bespoke support.